Recently there has been a lot of discussion on the concept of running barefoot. There are some purists who suggest we should all be running barefoot, period. Personally, I don’t care for the word ’should’ in any context. It implies someone else telling us what to do or be, when we all have to decide that for ourselves.

But can we just go run barefoot? To help you answer this, consider how long it has been since you ran barefoot. 20 years, 40 years, 60 years?; most of us have not been running barefoot since we first learned how to run as toddlers (*). How many years of shoes, dress shoes, high heeled shoes, perhaps periods of inactivity, or of modern running shoes do you have in you? These are just a few examples of all the stimulus the body is adapting to every minute of every day. This adaptation happens slowly and if we want to reverse the resulting changes in posture, muscle strength, flexibility, balance and confidence; then (more…)

In my last post the plan was to follow a pain free marathon training program from ChiRunning in order to prepare for the Nashville Marathon on April 24th, 2010, and I have started that training which is now into the fourth week of base training, with a slight twist.

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The way we stand and move are habits formed over time from our life experiences. Making adjustments to your posture and motion will take time; but with consistent focus and practice, not nearly as much time in which those habits were formed.

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When I first picked up a ChiRunning Book about four years ago - in pain, injured, frustrated and confused; I first realized my running philosophy was a bit off and then I realized my running technique was a bit off also.

On the surface, ChiRunning is about adjusting running technique to improve efficiency and prevent injury. Underneath, ChiRunning in rooted in simple principles of nature that if applied can dramatically change your running experience.  The same is true for ChiWalking and your walking experience.
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Many of us have heard the concept of “running is a metaphor [or mirror] for life”.

There have been many ways to apply and learn from this concept. Just Google the phrase and you will see many posts on the subject.

A few days ago a great quote came across my path:

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are” ~ Chinese proverb

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